Audiobooks discussion
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How is a person supposed to choose just one?
You don't have to choose just one--you can choose up to 100! Be sure to rank them as well.
I just went to give my votes, add audiobooks, etc., on Listopia and I'm disappointed that the icon is for the book, not the audiobook. With that format, you don't get the narrator in the description and the narrator is what makes it the best audibook. Do you suppose we could do something to change this? When I add audiobooks to my bookshelves, I always use the audiobook icon. If it's not available, I add it manually. Has this already been talked about somewhere or should I post a note with the Librarians or Feedback?
>Has this already been talked about somewhere...Listing narrators, rating the narrator/production, giving the time/length of the audiobook ... na you got to be kidding, for such thoughts go here:
Infamous ToDo List
But, at least, if we had the icon for the audiobook, such as thishttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
we would know who produced it and could then go find out the narrator.
Also, on that discussion, they are probably asking for too much at the outset. I would simply like to have the narrator. Thanks for giving me the link to it. I promptly expressed my opinion.
In the best audio narration, I used the comment field to type in "Narrated by: Narrator Name". Then when you click on the "X people voted" link under the book, you get to see the folks who voted for that book, the rank each gave the book, and the comments. In my case, I used the comment field to list the narrator name. Go here [www.goodreads.com/list/show/427] and look at "The Adventure of English" (number 3 as of this writing) and click the "people voted" link below it to see my example.
If we could all follow this format, then we'll know which reader we're referring to in our voting as some books have had multiple readers.
Grumpus left a comment to that effect on the Listopia page of best narrators. It's at the bottom of the list. I agree that if you don't take the time to scroll all the way down you won't see it, but I noticed it and used it.
I noticed that Grumpus & many others have made audiobook book shelves but in it many of the books are either hardcover books or paperback books? I guess this was done because there was no pix for the cover as an audiobook? In the end you can see how messed up this cataloging is going.Also for an audiobooks is it the book, the narrators or both that end up making it a "best"?
So not to be able to search and sort narrators is a major handicap, unfortunately making GR useless for the category of audiobooks as of yet. And ratings for audiobooks..., lets not go done that road again.
I posted my question about having the narrators listed under the descriptions of audiobooks on Goodreads Feedback and got this reply:Barbara,
Send a list of books and their narrators that need adding, with links to those editions please, to:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/2...
The "book issues" folder is the one to select in the drop-down menu. GR librarians do seem to get to every request so the narrators of the book editions you send should be added to the description field.
Also, I think it's very important to search out the icon for the actual audiobook when putting it on your shelf, Listopia, etc. If you work for a while, you can almost always get it. If not, I always manually add it. If we just post the hardback or paperback info, it doesn't give the needed information. There could be a production of the same book by one company that is spectacular and by another that is horrific. There are also abridged and unabridged productions of the same book. I definitely think that the book itself is only one factor in making it the best audiobook.Grumpus, I went through and put the narrators in the comments fields of the audiobooks I put into Listopia. I'll keep doing that.
If you want better audio book support for the various features here at goodreads, please speak in the Feedback group. They seem to respond well to popular requests.
Barbara,Great suggestion to seek out the appropriate audio covers. I admit that I am one of those who have been lax in that aspect. I will go back and rectify that by switching editions. I have started and found it easy to do. So, no excuses Audiobooks group. We can all do this.
SG, as far as documenting the narrators, I may have a solution. As I go back and switch my covers to audio versions, I am editing the "Binding" field (click "edit book" to get there). In most cases it currently reads "Audio CD" if you've selected the CD edition.
I am updating that field to read "Audio CD - Narrated by: [narrator name]". You can see one of my examples here:
[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39...]
I believe the binding field is an ideal place for the narrator due to it's prominent location. Now in one snapshot I get the appropriate audio cover with the author just below the image, the binding (format) and narrator all in one quick view.
COOL BONUSNow when I look at my books:
[www.goodreads.com/review/list/146952]
I see the title of the book and narrator listed right next to it. I had not anticipated this awesome benefit. Now, as I look at someone's books in this group, I can immediately identify the narrator without addition clicks. This makes this type of standardization all the more critical for members of this group who use narrators to help choose which books to listen to.
Reply to message 13/14 by Grumpus.Sorry I didn't mean to put you on the spot regarding the covers etc, and I do realized how you can add the narrators when adding the books. But why bother? When GR eventually will get it all together one day and actually DO make provision for narrator, ratings and length of time for audiobooks, then most likely you will have to do it all over again. So I'll just wait and bide my time keep listening.
Why bother? Two reasons:1. The information will be visible and useful to GoodReaders, even if it isn't searchable yet.
2. When the "narrator" field is finally added, it will be easier for the Librarians to add to that field if the information is already available in the audiobook's description, rather than having to search it out at another website.
Reply to message 17: by Kerry;Hmm, 5 out of your 19 listed audiobooks are ... you guessed it made out of paper, por qué?
Grumpus, are you a goodreads librarian? I love your suggestion in your message 13. However, when I click "edit book", I get a message that says that only goodreads librarians can edit book and author data.
Barbara,Sorry for the delay in responding. I've just returned from vacation! Yes, I am a librarian but didn't realize that this was a librarian-only function. It would be laborious for both parties but I could add them for you if you want to take the time to send me the info.
Are there other librarians in this group that would also be willing to help? If so, I could set up a new topic where those who want to submit their info can post there and then the audio librarians could tackle this list as time permits. Then simply post that the task has been completed.
Thoughts?
Barbara: sorry to sound dense, I'm a goodreads librarian, but don't quite get what help you're asking for specifically.
In Grumpus' Message 13, he said that he clicked on Edit Book, under the goodreads descriptions of his audiobooks, to add that narrator. However, only goodreads librarians are able to use that edit form.Grumpus, when I get some time, I will send you a list of narrators to add to book titles if that's okay. When I questioned this situation on the librarians board, someone volunteered to do it. However, when I looked at the list of what needed to be done in general, I hesitated to add more to the load. But since you, and maybe John, are more interested in keeping a good list of audiobooks on the board, I wouldn't feel so bad about asking you.
I'd be happy to tackle it if you'd like to send it to me. If it is too overwhelming, I'll post it (with your permission)for for others to assist me.
Barb, it's really easy to become a librarian. All you have to do is have 50 books on your read shelf and ask. Then you can do it yourself, whenever you feel the urge.
I just received my librarian status. I'd be happy to help!
I just received my librarian status. I'd be happy to help!
Aha, there's the answer, Sherry! I'll just become a librarian myself. I was afraid that I had to commit to do a certain amount of librarian work and I often don't have time. I'm off to check it out. And, thanks for the offers, everyone.
Not at all Barbara - if you never do anything as a librarian afterwards that's fine, but it's great for editing books you add if nothing else! I put "narrator: Joe Schmoe" as the first line of the description, and skip a line for the actual text to begin; with the name there, it'll be simple enough to go through and swap the name into a "narrator" field (currently on Otis' to-do list).
Hooray! I just got my librarian status. Will be putting all of my narrators in my audiobook descriptions. Can we think of any advantage to putting the narrators on the format/binding line (as Grumpus does) as opposed to the description (like John)? Should we try to do it in uniform fashion?I'm also looking forward to the ability to correct typos. My inner editor screams at those though I certainly occasionally make them myself.
OK, both in reading the librarian's manual and in asking for a link to Recorded Books, I am finding out about a problem with audiobooks. I posted the following note on the goodreads feedback under the Suggestions and Questions conference. If you have thoughts about it, you might want to go there and post a note in that thread. My note there says:When I put audiobooks on my shelves, I have been using the isbn number for the audiobook so that it doesn't get combined with the hardbook or paperback edition of the book. However, I've recently become a goodreads librarian and find in reading the manual that we are supposed to combine all editions of a book under one listing. I really feel strongly that this should be changed. Audiobooks are so different from the print form of a book. When I recommend an audiobook or get recommendations from others, it is based on the narrator and the production quality as much as it is the quality of the writing. I think you would find that other audiobook listeners feel much the same. Is this a possibility?
Barbara:I understand your point, but the "plot/text" is the same for all editions. Narrator and production quality are dealt with in the individual reviews "I liked the story, but Jane Schmoe's massacring of the Italian words drove me bonkers!" or "The author interview at the end of the recording was a great extra!" So, I think it's okay to keep them all together.
John
But, should they be listed under the same isbn number? I have been using the isbn number for the audiobook so that other audiobook lovers will know which production, narrator, etc. it is.
Yes, one should use the exact ISBN for one's copy - if it cannot be readily located, better to add it without one, giving at least the title, author and production company with narrator notes.
I don't have ISBN data because I download from Audible. I did contact Audible to see if the info was available and they told me that they use the Amazon info. So I have been using the CD info from Amazon where I can find it.As I have said I list the narrator in the binding field so it readily shows when you click the title or want to see it on my audiobooks shelf at a glance [www.goodreads.com/review/list/146952].
It wouldn't hurt to list narrators as John does as well for future ease should Goodreads incorporate this field in the future.
OK, I'm starting to get it now. Lisa, on the librarian's board, explained it in much the same way, John. I was afraid that I was supposed to list the audiobook under the print version's isbn number. Thanks!
The ISBN has been fairly readily locate-able for me by googling author + title + narrator + ISBN (or some variation). Audible gives the production company, so that plus title, and the terms "audio" and "ISBN" have been fine for getting the number!
Ooops. Slight issue in that my versions of the audio books (here in the UK) have different narrators, so the same book may be listed more than once.
It will be very interested to see how the rankings fall out!
[www.goodreads.com/list/show/426.best_...]
[www.goodreads.com/list/show/427]